NEW DEHLI: The anti-corruption hunger strike by Indian activist Anna Hazare drew thousands of supporters to central New Delhi on Saturday as his populist campaign sought to face down the government.
The 74-year-old spoke briefly to crowds from a high podium before he reclined on cushions to be feted with speeches, chanting and live music during the second day of his public fast.
"The fight will go on till we get a strong Lokpal (bill)," Hazare said, referring to his demand that anti-corruption legislation being considered by parliament is strengthened.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government has been left floundering by a national swell of support for Hazare's campaign, with many Indians saying years of anger at corrupt officials had reached boiling point.
Singh on Saturday struck a conciliatory note after previously dismissing Hazare's tactics as undemocratic.
"We are open to discussion, dialogue, we would like a broad national consensus to emerge," the premier told reporters. "There is a lot of scope for give and take."
Public support for Hazare – particularly among the middle classes – soared when he was briefly arrested earlier this week before he was due to start his public fast.
"I think the business world is turning against the official culture," said Somnath Mitra, an IBM managing consultant who attended the protest with company colleagues on Saturday.
Mitra, 39, recalled being forced to pay Rs33,000 in cash, for which he received no receipts, when registering two private properties last year.
"It was effectively a bribe to get my work done," he said.
Hazare now has permission to hold his fast at Ramlila, a muddy open-air venue in Delhi, for 15 days, and he has said he has already lost three kilograms (seven pounds) after refusing food since his arrest on Tuesday.
Scenes of frenzied celebration erupted as Hazare travelled to the venue on Friday. But his campaign organisers face a challenge in sustaining momentum due to the long holiday weekend and muggy monsoon weather.
Several thousand people ranging from students to farm workers massed to witness Hazare's fast on Saturday, though numbers were lower than some observers predicted after a huge pro-Hazare rally in Delhi during the week.
"The funds in government treasuries are ours," Hazare told the cheering crowds. "The treasuries are not threatened by thieves but by those who guard it."
Prime Minister Singh, who was previously seen as above India's corrupt officialdom, has been damaged by the protest movement, appearing out of touch on an issue of deep public concern.
Singh told parliament on Wednesday that Hazare's fast was a "totally misconceived" attempt to blackmail lawmakers into re-drafting legislation.
In an apparent mis-step, the government allowed Hazare to be arrested briefly on Tuesday to prevent him from beginning his hunger strike.
Hazare then refused to leave jail unless the ban on his public fast was lifted, and he emerged triumphant on Friday for a procession on an open-top truck through the capital to continue his hunger strike at Ramlila.
Doctors have been monitoring his health regularly, but have not yet raised any concerns.
India's government has struggled to have its voice heard amid the clamour surrounding Hazare's anti-graft drive, in part because its credentials have been damaged by multi-billion-dollar scandals involving senior officials.
Hazare's hero is Mahatma Gandhi – a portrait of India's independence icon fills the backdrop of the stage where his fast is being held – and he has threatened a Gandhi-style campaign of civil disobedience unless the government relents.
"I came straight from a night shift," said Diksha Rana, 23, a duty manager at the Max hospital in Delhi who attended Saturday's rally.
"This protest is about a problem which has been building up for years and Anna Hazare has unleashed all our frustration.
"This is a serious movement which we must push forward."
COMMENTS (23)
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@ hindu i tell u something these mullah are use less just talks most of them even they were against the creation of pakistan just leave them alone some body like mahathir of malaysia and tayyeb ardagan of tuekey are the peoples who changed the nation luck and look it history of pakistan no mullah ever got govt.
tanoli: ........... if you think that Hindus are coward then you have clearly seen their cowardliness in 1965 and then again in 1971.... now see the latest example : head of Indian Muslims Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, has called upon Muslims to stay away from the Anna movement saying his war cry - Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai - are against Islam.... . this is latest example of two nation theory........i can't understand why these hate mongers stayed in India even after partition........ . . Islam says worship the creator .......... mother nature created all things then why can't we pray it.........for a child mother is his creator......but for these hate mongers there is no respect for their mothers....... .who is that unlucky mom whose son himself is denouncing her......shame on these imams...... . .Islam completely deny democracy and personal liberty of people..... and these orthodox businessmen of religion become impatient when they see masses becoming liberal...... .. . and my friend how about introducing complete sharia in Pakistan ????? only then you can enjoy true Islamic environment and Pakistan will be a True Islamic country....without this two nation theory is meaningless..........
@ Anony the diffrence between is like CNN and ALJAZEERA eng.
@tanoli: Oh my.... In this internet age should i tell you that google neutral writers and read their books .....
@Tanoli
Do you have to have an opinion on every thing under the sun. I suspect you don't appreciate the general standard (which is quite high in my opinion) of the posts made on ET articles. Contribute educated opinions.I will still respect it even when I don't agree with it.
@tanoli
It is brain dead people like you who bring shame to our country. Face it, we have been running from our past our whole life. What do you think our ancestors followed before the islamic invasion from middle east ? what does that tell the world about them a) They were cowards when they converted to a religion when shown the edge of a sword b) they were bunch of idiots who suddenly found all their answers in the new wonder book.
Look around the country, it is burning every night. All for what ... religion, god ?
common sense has been thrown out of the window, humanity has been thrown out of the window. Answers are in reality not in the fictional world of God.
@ Anonymous Its hard to find a europe past when they were pegans and crusade aginst them to convert to christianity in google is in it you can try and amazing prosicution in latin america.
@ Anonymous Is google information is reliable i dont think so you can research your on this and tell me 85% those information are wrong.
@tanoli: in india muslims are less than hindus we did not do this islam got in india by sufia (muslim saints) In your dreams ..... just stop reading your madarssa library books and start using google ...... all the rozy picture of islam wll be shattered...
@hindu Islam is truth and one god is creator of every one who ever he/she is and yes muslims invaded india becouse hindu cant do that they dont eat good food lousy peoples and also muslims were librals in not converting any one because islam prohibite us to do so unless there will be no hindu left in india and if you know history in south america argintina, chille, mexico, peru and few others how christian invaders converted those peoples if they dont convert get killed even one of my mexican friend told me about this things now there are very few indiginous peoples exist from old maya and inca civilization but on hand in india muslims are less than hindus we did not do this islam got in india by sufia (muslim saints) and peoples converted by there choice not by force and you can see this is the reason there are kyani muslims and kyani sikhs cheema muslims and cheema hindus and so many other families are there in same way. ( wo ik sijda jo garan guzarta hai tuje, rokta hai hazar sajdow se.
@tanoli : i don't know what you are taught in madaarsas but you can see data about muslim population in India........then compare it with population of Pakistan. there are more Muslims in India then total population of Pakistan. India is home to the 2nd largest Muslim population in the world. every 5th man in India is a Muslim. in 1947 8% of Indian population was Muslim now it is 19%. (now don't call a conspiracy in it that Hindus helped in increasing Muslim population so that they can kill more Muslims ,....ha ....ha.....ha.) now compare it with the data of Pakistan's population how the population of the minorities reduced gradually(all of us know the reason behind this)...
India is home to largest population of pure vegetarians. India was attacked for more then 1000 years by Muslim invaders...can you name any Indian who did such act to other countries.?? have you ever heard of Hindus forcefully converting other religion to Hinduism..?? do Hindus live with only one motive ie. to convert whole humanity to Hindu and kill those who refuse.?? in 1947 Muslims divided India... latest example in 2011 is Sudan and you also know that this is not the last case...it will continue.. why can't you people live peacefully with other sects. you follow a two nation theory (or a two human theory : Muslims and kafirs)... i don't know the reason behind this are Muslims afraid of other sects or they want to dominate them .......whatever be the reason it's high time Muslims also join the mainstream and live peacefully with other people....learn something from Jainism how peaceful they are... . .i know that after reading this you will not try to change but you will try to find excuses and and will say that Muslims do this only because this is ordered to them by Allah (which is actually not true)......then these thoughts will further take you to more orthodox behavior and you will search for true teachings of Islam so i give you some links to satisfy your desires these will tell you that how Muslims are superior to others and they have their seats reserved at haven and hell is reserved for other sects....... after reading this you will be quite happy.... . .http://truecolorsofislam.com/(A(QVvjQUxvywEkAAAAZTkwMGNiODktMmRjMy00Yjc4LTljNWItNjE5NDI3MDI4ZTIydxKRPJCo1N-4ooMbhobjYmKfcXY1))/Articles/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=13&CategoryID=3&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 .. http://www.noorenabi.net/islam-death-and-grave.php . http://www.alahazrat.net/islam/beliefs.php . . .
no hindu no muslim only human let's fight for this........
@Ranjit: "So don’t be under the mistaken impression that all Indians are old, frail and non-violent like the bald, naked, toothless Gandhi." It is the "bald, naked, toothless Gandhi" that gave India, including Pakistan, freedom from an alien rule. It is the same "bald, naked, toothless Gandhi" that inspired alien people like South Africans and Americans to rise up against tyranny -and win. It is the same dear ""bald, naked, toothless Gandhi" that we all Indians adore and worship. We could never be like him or anywhere near him; you are absolutely right in that! Nor could anyone else. He is a one-in-a-lifetime miracle. We Indians consider ourselves fortunate in that he chose to be one of us!
In my first press release dated August 19, 2011 I said:-// ------------START QUOTE------------------ Just as cricket fever sweeps India and makes no difference to any thing, the fast is entertainment, sponsored by CIA-RAW to keep India 'Gandhian' -- and so poor, weak and enslaved -- due to the recent disclosure that M. K. Gandhi, a lifelong British agent, was a homosexual who wrote to the white man 'How completely you have taken possession of my body; It is slavery with a vengeance'. India has said that its nuclear warheads have been emplaced in various cities/countries such as New Delhi, Washington and New York. The nuclear destruction of these three cities, with a warning that additional U.S. cities will be destroyed if there is any retaliation, is the first step in the implementation of India's National Security Doctrine. The only way the United States will be able to keep two to three additional cities from being destroyed is by doing nothing in return. Five years later India can finish the job with its coast-to-coast destruction. With the impending nuclear destruction of New Delhi, Washington and New York, nothing else matters. ... ."// ------------END QUOTE------------------//
Satish Chandra
Funny looking anna like gandhi
@ hindu Since when (Ahhenssa) got so libral in the history and why these believers of ahhenssa killing all the believers of one god ( muslims, christian) whether in kashmir, gujrat, assam may be hindus allow to killed humans but not animals.
Anna Hazare is an astute politician who was smart enough to listen closely to what the people were saying and then gave it a platform. In our part of the world those who come into power quickly forget to listen to the people and therein lies their folly.
nonymous: i think Jainism is most truly non violent....... but good thing about Hinduism is that it allows its followers to take good teachings from other religions either it be Christianity or Islam or any other religion..........it does not force its people to just follow without question...........Hinduism never calls other religions as kafir nor it calls itself the only true religion in this world..........it considers all religions equal.... non violence can be understood only when you consider all living things equal and don't think that the violence against animals is less cruel than the violence against humans......but this can't be followed by a Muslim as Islam prevents Muslims from following any ideology that reflects resemblance with any other sect.....the only religion which calls for death sentence to people who leave Islam and to the atheists.
but this movement has nothing to do with religion as people fighting for Anna Hazare are not Hindu or Muslims they are Indians and are fighting for corruption free India.....
let's fight for a sect free world...................................not Hindu not Muslim only human...
Anna is a role model. What inspires is his belief that he can change the system for better. And, if you are determined enough you actually can.
Proud to be a hindu because only hindu religion which teaches non violence can have people like him.......... Bahgvan anna ki raksha karen and sau saal ki lambi aayu den........
i really love if we have man like this